Additional to yesterday’s put up, I ought to make it clear that ample tire clearance, versatility, wide-range gearing, “gravel bikes” or no matter we’re calling them this week, and The Many Supple Tire Choices Of Jan Heine are all good issues. Largely I used to be simply making the purpose that versatile highway bikes are nothing new, and if something the period of the “thong bikini” bike (minimal clearance for asscrack-width tires, solely applicable for the highway in the identical method the bikini is simply applicable for the seashore) was comparatively short-lived, although it was current sufficient that it nonetheless defines the highway bike for a lot of.
On the similar time, bikinis are undeniably titillating; furthermore, even should you’re an growing old bike owner, the urge to parade round in a banana hammock can generally get the higher of you, nevertheless ill-advised it could be:
The carbotanium LeMond simply barely clears 25mm tires, and it’s pictured right here towards a wooded backdrop into which I’d by no means steer it, however it’s nonetheless a sheer pleasure to trip, and a rolling tribute to a time when, quite than merely constructing in a number of additional millimeters of tire clearance to enhance the trip high quality whereas netting the rider some versatility within the cut price, designers sought to enhance trip high quality by gluing carbon and titanium collectively at nice expense–and it appears to have labored, as a result of I can solely describe the bike as “thupple.” (It’s because the phrase “supple” is the brand new “laterally stiff but vertically compliant,” so I can’t say it with out biting my tongue.)
If the Tete de Course have been mine I’d outfit it a bit extra conservatively with 32-spoke (or extra) wheels and conventional handlebars, however like an overbearing guardian I’ve a method of making an attempt to show all the things into the identical bike, so I’m resisting the urge and letting this one be the chariot of early-to-mid aughts exotica that it needs to be. One noteworthy bauble with which it’s adorned is the Zipp crank, which appears to be like pedestrian by in the present day’s requirements, however was fairly rarefied for the time:
James Huang favored it, noting its stiffness (the notion that riders can discern stiffness in a crank is without doubt one of the most ludicrous concepts in biking, which is saying lots), although the ISIS backside bracket solely obtained two and a half yellow shirts:
And sure, $1,000 for a crank and backside bracket was extraordinarily costly for a crank and backside bracket in 2006. That might be over $1,500 in the present day! For that cash you will get a Dura-Ace crank with an influence meter that tells you precisely how dangerous you suck:
And also you’ll have the funds for left over to choose up a pre-bonded Ultegra or Dura-Ace substitute on eBay after it falls aside:
[Via here.]
After all ISIS backside brackets don’t have an incredible status, but when this one acts up Jan Heine has me lined:
I used to be by no means one for boutique cranksets, and even at my most far gone I’d by no means have spent that form of cash simply to avoid wasting weight. Nonetheless, I did use Dura-Ace 7700 again after I was “critical,” and it’s been enlightening to trip it once more for the primary time in over 20 years:
9 speeds appear positively quaint now, however again in these days it was…uh, yet another than eight:
It additionally actually made a distinction on these climbs, in line with Pavel Tonkov:
See, a 39×25 low gear on a 9-speed system climbs significantly better than a 39×25 on an 8-speed system. It’s simply widespread sense. In case you don’t imagine me ask Abraham Olano:
When requested to elaborate, Olano additional defined that the rationale it’s higher is that 9 is greater than eight, after which he circled and tried to learn the signal behind him with out success for a minute and a half earlier than giving up.
The person is nothing if not a deep thinker:
All that apart, apparently Dura-Ace 7700 was additionally lighter than the outdated 8-speed stuff by over 500 grams, which truly is fairly spectacular–and it actually did work fantastically. Actually it nonetheless works fantastically even by in the present day’s requirements, as I’m discovering now that I’ve obtained the Tete de Course. Within the ensuing years I’ve spent a number of time with all kinds of roadie stuff together with Di2 and newer Dura-Ace, and whereas ergonomics and all that stuff is subjective, 9-speed Dura-Ace stays up there with any of it. The shifters are additionally very dependable, and given the widespread availability and low value of 9-speed consumables you can hold a highway bike with a 7700 drivetrain operating simply and cheaply for roughly ceaselessly. Decrease gearing isn’t an issue both, because of compact cranks and the truth that Shimano 9-speed shifters work with a few zillion completely different derailleurs. You simply want to have the ability to settle for the uncovered shifter cables–which you understand is definitely a function as soon as that you must change your shifter cables.
Then got here 10-speed, and whereas the Hollowtech II crank specifically (I admit I’m a Hollowtech II apologist) was an enchancment…
…you can make an argument that that 7700 was form of particular in that it was completely fashionable and terribly dependable, and but might be the final Shimano drivetrain that wouldn’t appear misplaced on a basic highway bike. Furthermore, one might additionally argue that 9 speeds is the right quantity for a efficiency bicycle, and that past that no person actually notices, besides the kinds of people that faux that they will discern crank flex.
I imply it’s no friction system, however it’s fairly good.
